Through the foggy pane of glass, Elizabeth could make out the form of her young maid. She looked almost angelic in the falling drizzle, her hair curling around her forehead and neck to make a sort of bright halo about her features. Ruby had been working for Elizabeth for nearly two month’s now, and they had fallen into quite the routine. Every morning the younger woman would rise to fetch her widow mistress water, heating it up for tea, sweetened with a bit of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. She’d then carry the drink upstairs on a tray, sitting it aside as she brushed through her mistress’s hair. Ruby had begun to enjoy this part of the morning, running her pale and slender fingers again and again through the older woman’s locks. She found herself taking time to work out the knots that sleep had made, teasing at them gently with the bristles of the wide, silver brush.
Today though, was a morning unlike most. It had been raining for three days straight, or so it seemed, and the water was rising so that even leaving the house to fetch milk or eggs or even water became a chore. When Ruby finally ducked back in out of the rain, Elizabeth had gone downstairs to meet her, holding out a shawl to pull around the young woman’s shoulders. Ruby gave a bit of a start at the greeting of her mistress just inside and her cheeks flushed a quick pink. “Ms. Elizabeth, are you alright? Is something wrong? Might I fetch you something?” A look of concern touched Ruby’s features but it was slowly drawn away as Elizabeth shook her head, her darker hair brushing against her own flushed cheeks. “No. No, nothing’s wrong, Ruby. I’d only feared you catch cold out like that. I thought you’d like something warm.”
Something warm indeed! Ruby frowned again and stepped up to take the shawl from her mistress, but Elizabeth drew back a step. “You ought to take that wet dress off first, Ruby dear.” Such endearing words caught the maid by surprise, and again her cheeks grew red. Ruby stared on at her mistress and slowly shook her head, her hands pressing against her chilled arms, water dripping lazily from her mussed, blonde hair. “Oh, Miss! I shan’t change here! Someone might see!”
